Posts Tagged ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’
July 13th, 2012
Prominent Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega was today
sentenced to 18 years in prison for violating anti-terrorism laws. He and 23 other activists and writers were
convicted last month, and accused of links with US-based opposition group Ginbot Seven, which Ethiopia considers a terrorist organisation. Last September Eskinder was arrested after publishing an article questioning arrests made under Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism legislation, namely that of well-known Ethiopian actor and government critic Debebe Eshetu.
May 1st, 2012
Threats have forced Liberian journalist Mae Azango into
hiding after she reported on female genital mutilation (FGM). Azango, who is currently in the United States, faced a backlash after she wrote an article for leading independent daily newspaper FrontPage Africa titled
Growing pains: Sande tradition of genital cutting threatens health of Liberian women. The piece forced Liberian officials to declare that the ritual should be stopped, people affiliated with the Sande secret women’s society — which performs FGM — have reportedly
threatened the journalist with violence.
April 17th, 2012
Freelance journalist John Grobler has
won a libel case against Namibia’s ruling Swapo party. On Friday (13 April), the party was ordered to pay Grobler 300,000 Namibian dollars (27,300 GBP) in damages in connection to defamatory statements made about him on the party’s website in September 2009. This is the first time that Swapo itself — rather than an individual party officeholder — has been held legally accountable over libelous statements made on a party platform. It is also the first time that online content has led to someone being held liable for defamation in the country.
April 12th, 2012
Eritrean journalist Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu, in custody since her arrest in February 2009, was
admitted to hospital in Asmara earlier this year, where she reportedly remains in a serious condition. She has been admitted to the hospital twice, once last November and again in January this year. She is under permanent guard and is allowed no visitors. She was arrested during a
raid on Radio Bana on 22 February 2009, during which the station’s entire staff was detained.
March 26th, 2012
Swaziland’s justice minister has told the country’s senate that the government is
finalising a law that would make it illegal to criticise the King Mswati III on social media networks. “We will be tough on those who write bad things about the king on Twitter and Facebook,” Mgwagwa Gamedze said. Internet penetration is low in Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, but social networks have been used to organise public demonstrations, including a student protest last Monday against funding cuts. Last week Swazi senator Thuli Msane claimed online activism was spiralling out of control and disrespecting Mswati III.
March 22nd, 2012
Soldiers in Mali
stormed the state TV and radio station in central Bamako yesterday, announcing they had seized control of the country hours after attacking the presidential palace. In a
video clip circulating online, spokesman for the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR), Captian Amadou Haya Sanogo, announced an immediate curfew, the suspension of the constitution and dissolving of democratic institutions. The soldiers have claimed the government is not giving them enough arms to tackle a northern rebellion by ethnic Tuareg separatists, in a conflict that has seen 195,000 people
displaced since mid-January.
December 6th, 2011
Zimbabwean police
stormed the offices of a daily newspaper, and arrested one of it’s journalists last week. Xolisani Ncube of Daily News was arrested on December 2, in connection with an article about a government minister that appeared in the paper last month. Newspaper editor,
Stanely Gama handed himself over to the police after being summoned for the same investigation. Police sources said it is likely the pair will be tried for criminal defamation following the article, “Chombo brags about riches”, in which they said Ingatius Chombo had bragged about his wealth.
November 24th, 2011
The controversial Protection of State Information Bill reveals a an authoritarian streak that has always been present in the ANC, says Salil Tripathi
(more…)
